• Journal of Environmental Analysis, Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.229-236
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• 2018

In this study, inter-laboratory comparison was done using elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometers (EA-IRMSs) to determine carbon and nitrogen contents as well as stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$) of five environmental samples containing lake and marine sediments, higher plant leaves, and fish muscle, and one organic analytical standard (Protein (Casein) Standard OAS). Five national laboratories participated in this comparison study, and each laboratory analyzed all five samples and the analytical standard. Results showed that variations in total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents as well as ${\delta}^{13}C_{TOC}$ and ${\delta}^{15}N_{TN}$ values among the laboratories were large compared to the analytical uncertainties. The results highlighted the inhomogeneity of the test samples and thus, the need to select suitable standard reference materials for future inter-laboratory studies. Further inter-laboratory comparison exercises could promote good measurement practices in the acquisition of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition data.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.73 no.9
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• pp.1263-1268
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• 2018

Three different ice core samples from Antarctica were analyzed to identify activity concentrations of radioactive isotopes. Tracking migration of radioactive isotopes to Antarctica can provide a key clue to understand global environmental changes caused by radiation exposures because the Antarctic ice cores can preserve unique characteristics of various environmental conditions. We are particularly interested in the $^{137}Cs$ nucleus, because it is closely related to radiation exposure from nuclear power plant accidents and nuclear bomb tests. With its half life of $30.17{\pm}0.03$ years, $^{137}Cs$ can also be used to assess the age of sedimentation occurring after around the year 1945. We selected three ice core samples, called Tarn8, Styx27, and H25, from different time periods; the Tarn8 sample is known to be from earlier than ~ 1000 AD, the Styx27 sample is approximately from the year 1945, and the H25 sample is from the year 2012. Radioactive isotope measurements of the ice core samples were performed using a 100% HPGe detector at Cheongpyeong Underground Radiation Laboratory (CURL). We measured the activity of $^{137}Cs$ in the H25 sample to be $0.98{\pm}0.82mBq/kg$. Although the activity has a large uncertainty mainly due to the limited sample quantity, the $^{137}Cs$ isotopes in the Antarctic ice core were measured for the first time in Korea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.407-429
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• 2012

There has been much debates on the geologic age of the sediments of the Domi Basin, since age results varied after research methods and fossil groups. This study carried out palynological analysis and seismic interpretation to establish a stratigraphy and environmental reconstruction mainly based on fossil dinoflagellates and Seismic data from the Domi-1 and Sora-1 wells. The dinocyst assemblages found enabled zonation of the well sediment sequence resulting in 4 ecozones. Index fossils among dinocysts and palynomorphic substances indicate geologic age of the well ranges from Eocene to Pleistocene, and paleoenvironment varies from freshwater to inner-neritic marine. The fossil association also suggests strong relationship to Japanese Tertiary basins in Kyushu area in terms of stratigraphy and basin developmental history.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 1996

This review gives an information on the oxygen isotopic composition of car-bonate and utility of paleotemperature equations to reconstruct the paleoenvironment in the late Quaternary paleoclimatic studies. The introduc-tion of various paleotemperature equations is described with respect to the de-velopment and usefulness. In addition the calculation of paleotemperature in the paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic research is constrained to provide more precise and correct approach in the interpretation of paleotemperature.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2014

Peperite exposed along the Dajeonsa basalt in Mt.Juwang, Cheongsong emerged as a consequence of the simultaneity of volcano-sedimentary sequences. This study aims to classify peperites as morphological characteristics and infer the formation process by the field investigation, image analysis, X-Ray Diffractometer and polarization microscope for the magma-sediment interaction mechanism and paleoenvironment. As a result of the field investigation globular(fluidal) peperite is the representative feature at the bottom of Dajeonsa basalt, sub-angular peperite at the middle and irregular peperite at the top. Peperite domains range from sheet and pod or feeder conduit. Although the study that the morphologies of peperite are controled by the sorts of sediment and lava or magma has tended to center around the peperite, the study addresses not single mechanism but the multi-stage mechanism because Mt.juwang peperite, under the same conditions, varies in shapes and sizes and also the ratio of sediments that show the most change of the peperite affects to the formation of peperite.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 2016

Stable water vapor isotopes have been utilized as a tracer for studying atmospheric global circulations, climate change and paleoclimate with ice cores. Recently, since laser spectroscopy has been available, water vapor isotopes can be measured more precisely and continuously. Studies of water vapor isotopes have been conducted over the world, but it is the early stage in south Korea. For vapor isotopes study, a cryogenic sampling device for water vapor isotopes has been developed. The cryogenic sampling device consists of the dewar bottle, filled with extremely low temperature material and impinger connected with a vacuum pump. Impinger stays put in the dewar bottle to change the water vapor which passes through the inside of impinger into the solid phase as ice. The fact that water vapor has not sampled completely leads to isotopic fractionation in the impinger. To minimize the isotopic fractionation during sampling water vapor, we have tested the method using a serial connection with two sets of impinger device in the laboratory. We trapped 98.02% of water vapor in the first trap and the isotopic difference of the trapped water vapor between two impinger were about 20‰ and 6‰ for hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. Considering the amount of water vapor trapped in each impinger, the isotopic differences for hydrogen and oxygen were 0.33‰ and 0.06‰, respectively, which is significantly smaller than the precision of isotopic measurements. This work can conclude that there is no significant fractionation during water vapor trapping.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.241-252
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• 2018

It was estimated that the Imdang-dong site of Gyungsan was constructed in the 2nd to 4th century based on excavated layers and artifacts. This study was carried out to verify the result using the dendrochronological analysis of six wooden pillars excavated at the site. As a result, it was proven that 6 specimens were not cut at the same age because their tree-ring chronologies were not synchronized each other. And more, it was reconfirmed in wiggle matching dating as confirming two of them were dated to A.D. 94-135 and A.D. 224-289, respectively. It was coincided with the above-mentioned estimated age. In wood identification, most of them were identified as Hovenia dulcis Thunb., Tilia spp., Ulmus spp. which grow usually under cool environment. Based on the result, we could conclude that the climate at that time was cooler than the present.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.975-987
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• 2018

Stable isotope ratios of $^{18}O/^{16}O$ and $^{13}C/^{12}C$ and rare earth elements geochemistry of the Upper Triassic carbonates from the Baluti Formation in Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq were studied in two areas, Sararu and Sarki. The aim of the study is to quantify the possible diagenetic processes that postdated deposition and the paleoenvironment of the Baluti Formation. The replacement products of the skeletal grains by selective dissolution and neomorphism probably by meteoric water preserved the original marine isotopic signatures possibly due to the closed system. The petrographic study revealed the existence of foraminifers, echinoderms, gastropods, crinoids, nodosaria and ostracods as major framework constituents. The carbonates have micritic matrix with microsparite and sparry calcite filling the pores and voids. The range and average values for twelve carbonate rocks of ${\delta}^{18}O$ and ${\delta}^{13}C$ in Sararu section were -5.3‰ to -3.16‰ (-4.12‰) and -2.94‰ to -0.96‰ (-1.75‰), respectively; while the corresponding values for the Sarki section were -3.69‰ to -0.39‰ (-2.08‰) and -5.34‰ to -2.70‰ (-4.02‰), respectively. The bivariate plot of ${\delta}^{18}O$ and ${\delta}^{13}C$ suggests that most of these carbonates are warm-water skeletons and have meteoric cement. The average ${\Sigma}REE$ content and Eu-anomaly of the carbonates of Sararu sections were 44.26 ppm and 1.03, respectively, corresponding to 22.30 ppm and 0.93 for the Sarki section. The normalized patterns for the carbonate rocks exhibit: (1) non-seawater-like REE patterns, (2) positive Gd anomalies (average = 1.112 for Sararu and 1.114 for Sarki), (3) super chondritic Y/Ho ratio is 31.48 for Sararu and 31.73 for Sarki which are less than the value of seawater. The presence of sparry calcite cement, negative $^{13}C$ and $^{18}O$ isotope values, the positive Eu anomaly in the REE patterns (particularly for Sararu), eliminated Ce anomaly ($Ce/Ce^{\ast}$: 0.916-1.167, average = 0.994 and 0.950-1.010, average = 0.964, respectively), and Er/Nd values propose that these carbonates have undergone meteoric diagenesis. The REE patterns suggest that the terrigenous materials of the Baluti were derived from felsic to intermediate rocks.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.173-184
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• 2019

Variations in grain size distribution and clay mineral assemblage are closely related to the sedimentary facies that reflect depositional conditions during the glacial and interglacial periods. Gravity cores BS17-GC15 and BS17-GC04 were collected from the continental shelf and rise in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea during a cruise of the ANA07D Cruise Expedition by the Korea Polar Research Institute in 2017. Core sediments in BS17-GC15 consisted of subglacial diamicton, gravelly muddy sand, and bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. Core sediments in BS17-GC04 comprised silty mud with turbidites, brownish structureless mud, laminated mud, and brownish silty bioturbated diatom-bearing mud from the bottom to the top sediments. The clay mineral assemblages in the two core sediments mainly consisted of smectite, chlorite, illite, and kaolinite. The clay mineral contents in core GC15 showed a variation in illite from 28.4 % to 44.5 % in down-core changes. Smectite contents varied from 31.1 % in the glacial period to 20 % in the deglacial period and 25.1 % in the interglacial period. Chlorite and kaolinite contents decreased from 40.5 % in the glacial period to 30.3 % in the interglacial period. The high contents of illite and chlorite indicated a terrigenous detritus supply from the bedrocks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Core GC04 from the continental rise showed a decrease in the average smectite content from 47.2 % in the glacial period to 20.6 % in the interglacial period, while the illite contents increased from the 21.3 % to 43.2 % from the glacial to the interglacial period. The high smectite contents in core GC04 during the glacial period may be supplied from Peter I Island, which has a known smectite-rich sediment contributed by Antarctic Circumpolar Currents. Conversely, the decrease in smectite and increase in chlorite and illite contents during the interglacial period was likely caused by a higher supply of chlorite- and illite-enriched sediment from the eastern Bellingshausen Sea shelf by the southwestward flowing contour current.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 1994

The study area is filled up by alluvium which can be classified into lower and upper beds by the facies of deposits and their degree of weathering. The lower bed is not of marine but of fluvial. The upper bed is mainly composed of clay and silt or fine sand beds col-ored dark or dark gray which are of neritic or brackish yielding mollusca fossils. The oyster(Crassostrea ariakensis) obstained from the depth of 3m below the present sea level in the upper bed was dated at 4,100 110Y.B.P. and the veneridae(Meretrix lamarck) 1m height above the present delta plain in the old sand bar was dated at 1,700 85Y,B,P. It is therfore concluded that the study area a small kern col of terrestri-al basin prior to postglacial age had experienced the Holocene transgression. Consequently the study area is considered to have been progressively formed under neritic or brackish circumstance before 1,700Y.B.P.